Marion County RECORD

For all the voices in the discussion and debate on marriage equality, the decision to allow Marion’s first wedding of a same-sex couple came down to one person, that being the chief justice of the district court, Mike Powers.
Kaci Miller and Amanda Horacek became the first same-sex couple to marry in Marion County on Nov. 13, the same day Powers signed an administrative order to allow same-sex couples to wed.

A 2-year-old boy is recovering after accidentally shooting himself with his father’s .22-caliber pistol Friday evening inside their rural Marion home.
Sheriff Robert Craft said the child’s father opened his gun safe, turned around, and the boy grabbed the barrel of the gun, which discharged.

Marion City Council will consider raising its electrical rate for residents and businesses at its next meeting Dec. 8.
City Administrator Roger Holter told the council on Tuesday that wholesale electric rates are increasing, which will push up the cost of retail rates for residents and businesses. Altogether, Holter expects the wholesale cost of electricity to increase 2.9 percent for the city to purchase.

Growing numbers of tour groups are finding their way to the rural Marion County town of Pilsen and are finding food for the soul as they learn more about chaplain Emil Kapaun, who gave his life serving others in a North Korean prisoner-of-war camp and is a candidate for the sainthood.
When they finish touring the Father Emil Kapaun Museum and adjacent St. John Nepomucene Church, they are hungry.

After seizing 3.3 grams of methamphetamines and 20.2 grams of marijuana from seven people in four busts over the weekend, Marion police had a message for drug users in the city.
“If you’re using it, selling it, or making it, we’re going to find you, and you’re going to go to jail,” Chief Tyler Mermis said.

Marion County Hardware was the place to be Monday evening. For the ladies, that is.
At least 200 showed up for Ladies Night Out sponsored by the store’s owners, Kent and Sandy Carmichael.

While Linda Mish raised a family, she shopped at the Hillsboro Alco regularly. Now that her children are grown, she does not visit the store as often but she still hunts for bargains.
“I wait for deals on canned vegetables,” Mish said outside the Alco on Tuesday.

Lance Carter and Tabarrius Quordez Coffey were charged in an incident that left a former Tabor football player hospitalized on Oct. 26.
Carter was one of two athletes that suffered injuries that night, the other being Manuel Michael Pineda. Pineda was hospitalized that night while Carter reported his injuries the next day.

Operation Christmas Child locally brought in a record 1,409 shoeboxes of gifts, 384 more than last year, coordinator Susan Paine said this week.
Wrapped shoeboxes stuffed with goodies came from benefactors throughout the county — with 954 from Marion, including Aulne United Methodist Church; 373 from Hillsboro and Tabor College; 42 from Canton; and 40 from Durham, Paine said.

Christmas fans and Marion City Library aficionados should know the library’s Christmas Home Tours are coming.
“‘There’s no place like home’ is this year’s theme, honoring the 75th anniversary of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” library director Janet Marler said.

Kenneth Schroeder, 92, died Thursday at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro.
He was born March 16, 1922, to John P. and Marie (Goertz) Schroeder in Goessel. He married Ruby Prieb Feb. 27, 1947, in Hillsboro. She preceded him in death.

With their penchant for meeting behind closed doors we can’t be totally sure, but we think it’s a safe bet city council members haven’t been scheming how to stick it to everybody but their wealthiest constituents.
Still, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing in considering raising utility rates in both Marion and Hillsboro.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

By day, she is assistant manager of a bank in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. In her spare time, however, Marion native Sara Vinduska loves to write.
Vinduska and her boyfriend drove 22 hours home for Thanksgiving, and Vinduska was able to donate her second published novel, titled “The Drowning Man,” to Marion City Library on Tuesday.

MARION SENIOR CENTER:

MEMORIES:

Marion Elementary School students will perform two Christmas concerts at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday at the Performing Arts Center.
The Monday concert will feature the fifth and sixth grade band as they perform holiday musical numbers under the direction of Chris Barlow.

The Tabor College Symphonic Band and Chamber Strings will present a free concert titled, “A Christmas Festival,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.
Musicians will perform traditional Christmas songs, including music from seven countries and four musical eras. Brad Vogel will accompany the strings on harpsichord.

Carrie Carlson of Lincolnville received the American FFA degree during the National FFA Convention Oct. 29 to 31 in Louisville, Kentucky. She was one of 56 members from Kansas who qualified for the honor.
The degree is the highest that can be earned as an FFA member. Carlson’s first step was earning the State FFA Degree as a junior in the Centre FFA chapter. She was a chapter officer her last three years in high school, serving as president and south central district vice president her senior year. After graduating in May 2013, she served as state FFA vice president.

Out of more than 800 students who auditioned, a quintet of Marion High School students were recently selected to sing in the South Central Kansas Music Educators Association District Honor Choir.
Nathan Baldwin, Shyla Harris, Molly Hess, Quinton Hett and Adam Kjellin will join 155 students from the south central portion of the state to perform at 4 p.m. Dec. 6 at Wichita East High School auditorium.